Messy Art with Laurie
2025-04-17 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-04-24 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Join Ms. Laurie and our Art Studio staff for a weekly drop-in art experience designed for MCM’s youngest visitors and their caregivers. Through open-ended & process-based projects, empower your little artist to freely explore materials and art-making with their senses. And the best part? We take care of cleanup!

This event is free with general museum admission.

Free Thursday Evenings
2025-04-17 16:00 - 20:00, 2025-04-24 16:00 - 20:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Visit MCM for free every Thursday evening, 4–8 pm!

Enjoy extended hours each Thursday, completely free of charge. Please check in at the admissions desk when you visit during free hours.

Looking for more affordable ways to visit? During the rest of the week, MCM offers reduced cost admission and memberships every day to families who qualify through our Access for Everyone initiative.

Lexie's Idea Lab: Zine Party!
2025-04-17 17:00 - 19:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Get your creativity flowing with Lexie in the Idea Lab! Practice different methods for creating new art projects and storytelling concepts with guidance from the Idea Machine.

This event is part of our free admission Thursday evenings, 4 pm–8 pm every week.

Wild Wonders: Adopt a Succulent
2025-04-17 17:00 - 19:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Pick out a clay pinch pot and bring home your own cutting from MCM’s Rooftop’s succulents! Learn to take care of your new friend, so you can help it grow and thrive.

This event is part of our free admission Thursday evenings, 4 pm-8 pm.

Cereal for Dinner
2025-04-17 17:00 - 19:00
As voted by visitors in our kids-only election: the Lunchbox will offer a Cereal-for-Dinner service! Cereals featured will be Frosted Flakes, Honey Nut Cheerios, and granola. Cow’s milk and oat milk will also be provided. Crunch to your heart’s content, as long as supplies last!

Aventuras en Español: el Día del Niño
2025-04-17 17:00 - 19:30 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Celebra el Día del Niño con nosotros. Únete a nuestro taller especial para celebrar a los niños. Haremos mini piñatas, jugaremos a las sillas musicales con música latina animada, y disfrutaremos de un espectáculo de marionetas, todo en español. ¡Es una celebración llena de alegría donde todos pueden aprender y jugar juntos!

Celebrate Children’s Day with us! Join us for a special workshop to celebrate kids. We’ll make mini piñatas, play musical chairs with lively Latin music, and enjoy a puppet show—all in Spanish. It’s a joyful celebration where everyone can learn and play together!This event is part of our Free Thursday Evenings, 4 pm to 8 pm every week.

Early Explorers Playgroup
2025-04-18 09:30 - 10:30, 2025-04-25 09:30 - 10:30 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Social time for babies and their grown-ups!

This playgroup is thoughtfully designed for our earliest visitors. We will provide a space for infants and toddlers (2 years and under) and their caregivers to explore and play together, and engage in activities that support various aspects of child development. Parents and caregivers will have the opportunity to connect with one another over a variety of topics. Come meet other families and make new friends!

This event will be held in the Celebrations Room and is free with general museum admission.

Let's Move! with Abby
2025-04-18 10:00 - 11:30 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Join us for movement games and activities! From obstacle courses to dances, group games and balance activities, we’ll enjoy different opportunities to move our bodies every day. Program location is subject to change, depending on the weather. Please check our Welcome Wall for the most up-to-date location information.This event is free with general museum admission.

Music with Junebug
2025-04-18 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-04-25 10:30 - 11:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Join us for Music with Junebug, led by Junko Yamauchi!

This program gives toddlers and preschoolers the opportunity to sing, dance, explore instruments, and play. Music and movement activities promote brain development and connect us to our family and community.

For today’s Music with Junebug location, please ask at the admissions desk or check the Welcome Wall in our lobby. This event is free with general museum admission.

STEAM Time: Renewable Energy with KidWind
2025-04-18 11:00 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Experiment with renewable energy using our KidWind turbine kit! Build wind turbines, test out their energy output based on fan blade shape, size, number, and angle, and make modifications to create the ideal windmill.

This event is free with general admission. Image credit: KidWind and Mandy Putnam

Clay Day: Modeling Clay Minis
2025-04-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Explore the squishy, smudgy, sculptable world of clay! Today, we’ll make-and-take mini statuettes with modeling clay.

Each Friday, join us for a different drop-in clay experience in the Art Studio. We’ll work with a variety of media–ceramic clay, dough, paper clay, polymer clay, and more. This event is free with general museum admission.

Sensory Worlds with Junko
2025-04-18 13:30 - 14:30 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Join Junko as we explore different sensory materials every week!Please note, this program location may vary. Check at the admissions desk for the most up-to-date information.This event is free with general museum admission.

Let's Move! Earth Day Scavenger Hunt
2025-04-19 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-04-24 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-04-25 10:00 - 11:30 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States

Exploration Station: Seed Planting
2025-04-19 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-04-20 10:30 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Start your own mini-garden by planting seeds to take home, and decorate your own paper plant pot!

This event is free with the price of general admission.

Let's Make! with Lexie: Upcycled Art
2025-04-20 13:00 - 15:00
Explore new materials and creative techniques through facilitated art activities and bring home hand-made treasures. Projects vary each week and may include sculpture, painting, comics, printmaking, and more! In celebration of Earth Day on April 22nd, we’ll create art from re-used or recycledmaterials.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Let's Move! Earth Day Dance Party
2025-04-23 10:00 - 11:30 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States

Nice Age Tales
2025-04-23 10:30 - 11:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Join us for a story and circle time that connects children to kindness and nature. Sing songs, interact with puppets, listen to a story, and move your body in this interactive weekly program.

This event will be held in the Nice Age Trail exhibit and is free with general museum admission.

Music Time with Tim
2025-04-23 11:00 - 11:30
Explore the world of music and rhythm! Join Tim each week to enjoy play-based songs, games, and stories.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Tales with Teresa
2025-04-24 09:30 - 10:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Join us for story time and hear Teresa read some of her favorite books using her DynaVox. With this speech-generating device, Teresa shares stories that help us build listening skills, develop early literacy, and celebrate each other’s differences.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Free Night: Badgerland Learning Days Celebration
2025-04-24 16:00 - 20:00
Join us for free admission and hands-on activities throughout the museum, 4–8 pm! Learn about dozens of free family events taking place April 19–27 in southern Wisconsin as part of Badgerland Learning Days. Admission is free, registration not required. Free activities provided by:

Forward! Marching Band (6:30-7 pm)
Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Badgerland
Henry Vilas Zoo
Lussier Family Heritage Center
Madison Cello Ensemble (6-6:30 pm)
Madison School & Community Recreation
Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center
UW Neuroscience Training Program Outreach
Wisconsin Science Festival

Wild Wonders: Pollinator Seed Balls
2025-04-24 17:00 - 19:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Create seed balls using a native pollinator seed mix grown on the museum’s Rooftop Ramble! Find out what it takes to plant pollinator gardens, and gain a better understanding of plants’ life cycle from seed to flower.

This event is free with the price of general admission. Image credit: Chicago Community Gardeners Association

STEAM Time: Water Explorers
2025-04-25 11:00 - 12:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Dive into the hidden world of teeny tiny critters that thrive in our local waterways. Give your fine motor skills a workout while sampling lake water and get a reeeeeally close look at microorganisms with our microscope.

Join us each week for new STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) activities. These hands-on programs foster creativity, ignite curiosity, encourage divergent thinking, increase problem-solving skills, and offer new ways for kids to explore the world around them.

This event is free with general museum admission.

Clay Day: Roll and Cut Shapes
2025-04-25 13:00 - 15:00 | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Explore the squishy, smudgy, sculptable world of clay! Today, we’ll make creative shapes with rolled-out clay.

Each Friday, join us for a different drop-in clay experience in the Art Studio. We’ll work with a variety of media–ceramic clay, dough, paper clay, polymer clay, and more. This event is free with general museum admission.
